I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.

God, Keep Us Awake--July 14, 2014


Spread your protection over your people, O God,
for when bad news comes, our hearts fail
and there is no courage left in us.

When we are sluggish in spirit,
when our eyes do not see
and our ears do not hear,

keep us awake, for we
know neither the day
nor the hour you
will come.

Lectionary Readings
Ps. 5; 145; 82; 29
Josh. 2:1-14
Rom. 11:1-12
Matt. 25:1-13
                
Selected Verses
Ps. 5:11b
 Spread your protection over [all who take refuge in you],
          so that those who love your name may exult in you. 

Josh. 2:11a
"…As soon as we heard it, our hearts failed, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you.  …"  [Rahab to the Israelite spies]

Rom. 11:8
…as it is written, "God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." 

Matt. 25:13
"…Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.  …"  [Jesus to his disciples]
Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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